NHS Dental / Bridge Help

[LastDayOfWinter]

In 2015 after a long battle to save a tooth that kept getting infected (4th from the front) I couldn't stand the pain / continuous metronidazole 400 any more and had it removed. Instant relief.

I was advised to wait 3 months and then pay for a PRIVATE 2 tooth bridge. To 'save' the tooth behind which was also poor quality and has root canal and has been extensively filled previously he placed a temporary gold NHS crown on it

Now the gold crown tooth is giving me the same pain, I have taken a course of antibiotics penicillin this time and within days the infection/pain can be felt again. I am desperate for him to pop the crown off and pull this tooth out also to end the misery.

Here is my confusion, when I returned about the gold crown tooth hurting he offered me a 2 tooth bridge on the NHS !!! but told me a 4 tooth bridge would be PRIVATE. I really need the gold crown tooth removing and see no point in trying to save it knowing how bad the tooth in front became and the pain/numerous dental visits involved.

I am told by him that if the NHS 2 tooth bridge gets infected I will have to pay for a 4 tooth bridge. Surely a 4 tooth bridge is available on the NHS if that is what I need? I am desperate to pull the gold crown tooth out to get rid of the pain and nasty taste in my mouth.

My question is, can anyone clarify the rules around an NHS 4 tooth bridge and the criteria ? Im in contact pain

anyone ?

Not sure of the criteria but my DH has a large bridge spanning his front teeth, definitely more than 4 teeth which was done by the NHS at a Dental Hospital. He wasn't on benefits so it wasn't means tested but the cost would have been too much for us afford privately. His missing front teeth were the result of a car accident about 20 years previously. He had lost various crowns that kept falling out and the only option offered to him for many years was false teeth which he couldn't wear because of the pain from scar tissue after his accident. Having no front teeth affected his confidence a lot.

He was referred to the Dental Hospital by our NHS dentist and I know she wrote a letter with reasons why she believed he needed the bridge as opposed to false teeth. The cost of such a bridge is considerable and although the hospital agreed with our dentist that he should have the work done he had to wait nearly 3 years before they had the funding in place to do it.

I think having your dentist on your side would be helpful so maybe you could begin with looking for a new dentist.

All set to have four upper front incisors removed (due to crowns failing) to cut story shortfall set up to have dental implants, thought it was all going ahead at dentist appointment to be told don't have enough bone can't go ahead, told my implant would cause a bad overbite, quite upset but appreciate dentists honesty. Anyone know if I could have a bridge put in place to replace the 4 missing teeth and would it last, absolutely hate my dental partial it moves about I lisp and still can't eat properly.